Improved apparatus for generating gas from petroleum



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID M. GRAHAM, OF EVAN SVILLE, INDIANA.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 47,634, dated May 9,1865.

f0 all whom it may concern;

Be it known that 1, DAVID M. GRAHA1W1,0f the city of Evansville, in thecounty of Vanderburg and State of Indiana, have invented a new apparatusfor generating gas from pctroleum or benzoin, or such oil as may beextracted therefrom for illumination or other purposes and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theconstruction and operation of the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, of which-Figure 1 is a side elevation; Fig. 2, a plan or top view.

Like letters in both figures of the drawings indicate correspondingparts.

The nature of my invention consists in generating gas frompetroleum,'benzoin, or any other gaseous material from which gas may begenerated, for illumination and other purposes for which gas is or maybe used, by means of a generating-chamber being heated by the oilthrough an ordinary gas-burner connected to a receiver containing theoil, and when heated to a sufficient extent the intro duction of the oiltherein from another portion of the same receiver or receivers, the gasfrom which being conveyed to a gasometer, and when filled the oil beingcut off from further use for heating the chamber, and the gas thus madegiving the required heat through the same burner thereafter.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to describe its construction and operation.

I place or attach the generating-chamber (above referred to) within orsurrounded by a cylindrical or other shaped chamber, B, (see the same inboth figures in dotted lines, letter A,) in such a manner as to condenseand retain the heat from the gas-burner around the chamber, so as tointensify and concentrate it upon the same, and thereby accomplish thegeneration'of gas from the oil speedily and effectually. At a proper andsafe distance from the condensing-chamber is a receiver, 0, in whichpetroleum or benzoin, or such other oil as may be extracted therefrom,is placed. Gonnected thereto is an ordinary gas-pipe, a, with burnerattached, projecting partially within the condensing'chambcr anddirectly under the generating chamber, at a proper distante from it.(See Fig. 1,-"letter a, in dotted lines.) Connected at the bottom of thereceiver, and likewise to the side of the gaschamber, near the bottom ofit, is a pipe, 1). Through this pipe the oil is conveyed. The generatoris first heated by the burner underneath simply burning the oil in afluid state without wick;

The heating of the same to the desired tem perature is ascertained bythe application of a thermometer to the sides of the condensing-chamber, which it it indicates 300 the chamber is ready to receivethe oil from the receiver, which is let on by the thumb-key b beingturned in the proper direction. If a thermometer is not convenient,theproper heating of the chamber may be ascertained in 7 anothermanner-by dropping a drop of water 011 the top of the condenser, atwhich time, if it boils, the oil is introduced, as above stated, and thegas begins to generate as soon as admitted, and is then conveyed bymeans of piping ortubes c to a gasometer, D, the tilling of which may beascertained by placing the palm of the hand around the sides. The heattherefrom ati'ecting it perceptibly indicates that the gasometer is fullor sufliciently supplied with gas, at which time the thumbkey 0 in theconnection between the piping and burner-pipe is opened and the gasintro duced into the same pipe to which the burner is attached, (asherein referred to,) and, reaching the oil flame, is instantaneouslyignited,

which as soon as discovered the oil is out off from the burner by athumb-key, d, in the pipe. The chamber is thereafter heated by the gasfrom the gasoineter, and, without any cessation of the heat or flame,the uniting of the gas with the oil-flame being attended without anydanger, the only consequence being from a conjunction of the two, a toogreat an increaseof heat resulting from the flame being augmented, whichis obviated, as above stated, by the oil-flame being out off. The.

chamber may be heated by the oil-flame for the generation of gastherein, and which may be immediately applied for the purposes of ed thegasometer to obviate this, and besides a greater degree of heat isobtained from the gas-flame.

It will be observed that the generatingchamber is self acting in itsnature-that is to say, it supplies itself with the means by which theheat is made, which is required for the generation of gas forillumination. If the generating-chamber should fail to force the gas tothe top of the building or dwelling or other place or places, then thegas is introduced into a gasometer, E, of the proper capacity forholding the same, by means of piping or tubes connecting the twotogether, (the thumb-keys e and ffirst being left open,) from whichadditional power is given to force the W gas to any desired part of thebuilding. The force of the gas in the distributingpipes, or

power given to forcing the gas from the chamber through the same, isregulated by means of the thumb key 6 in the gasometer-pipe. By closingthe thumb-key g a sufficient quantity of gas is retained in thegasometer for producing heat for the generation of gas for the ensuingevenlng.

With the present facilities for obtaining petroleum, and at acomparatively small expense, any family can generate enough gas withthis apparatus in the space of a very few minutes to lighten their wholehouse, requiring but very little trouble in. the management of it, andwith nothing like the expense required in the use of the present gasthat is made. It can be constructed compactly enough to be inolosed in ametallic box, when it may be placed in any part of the house where oneor more rooms may be lighted with safety and ease. It may be made toilluminate large cities and towns by constructing it on a larger scale,and thereby supersede the use of coal and wood for gas-generatingpurposes.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim thereinas new,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. Heating the generating-chamber A from the oil in the receiver Othrough an ordinary gas burner, a, for the purpose of generating gas forthe continuation of heat by gas alone from the gasometer D through andby the same burner, substantially in the manner as herein set forth.

.2, The receiver (J, gas-burner a, and pipe I), in combination with thegenerating-chamher A, whereby the same is heated by the oil,

substantially in the manner and for the purpose as herein set forth.

3. The gasometer D, piping or tubes 0, and gas-burner a, in combinationwith the generating chamber A, whereby the same is heated by gas,substantially in the manner and for the purpose as herein set forth.

4. The cylindrical chamber B, in combination with the generating-chamberA, whereby the heat is condensed and retained around the same,substantially in the manner asherein set forth.

5. The gasometer E, in combination with the generating-chamber A,whereby an additioual power is given to force the gas throughdistributing-pipes, substantially in the manner as herein set forth.

D. M. GRAHAM.

